Apparatus for starting gas-engines.



v o. H. OSLUND. APPARATUS FOR STARTING GAS ENGINESH APPLICATION FILEDMAR. 16, 1909.

' PatentedNov. 15, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

0B 3 ,l 1 A. u A n I T a s, l m w G. HVOSLUND. APPARATUS FOR STARTINGGAS ENGINES.

' APPLICATION FILED EAR-.16, 190a;

975,567; Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. v

%l|w-- Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES H. 'osLUND, or woncns'rnn, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR STARTING GAS-ENGINES.

T 0 all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that'I, CHARLES H. Os'LUm),

a citizen of the United States, residing at YWorceSter, inthe county of'orcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulApparatus for Starting Gras-Engines, of whichthe following is aspecifica tion. i

This invention relates to an apparatus for starting gas engines.

- As is well known the present practice of starting gas engines, such asare used for automobiles and "the like, is awkward and undesirable, andmany inventions have .been made for the purpose of doing away with thecranking up of the engines in order to get them started. I

To provide for efficiently accomplishing this result is the principalobject of this invention.

Another, object of this invention is to utilize for this purpose asource of energy which is-already provlded on most automobiles and othermotor vehicles.

It also involves improvements n several features of construction as willappear here'- inafter.

' Reference is to behad o the accompanying drawings, in which-.

Figure 1. is a side view somewhat diagrammatic in form of a four-cycleQHS'G11 .ginesnitable for use on an automobile showing one way in whichthe ii'iyention maybe applied thereto; Fig. 2 1s a side v ew of a "valvefor controllingthe starting'arrangement; Fig 3 is a sectional view ofthe same on the line 33 of Fig. Fig. 4 is a side view on enlarged scaleof a detail; Fig. 5 is a side view on enlarged scale of mechanism foroperatingthe manually controlled valveshown in Fig. 1 for setting thedevice into operation. Fig. 6 is a sectional View of a detail of thesame; and Fig. 7 is adiajgrammaticvi'ew of an. ordinary form of W11: ingshowing how 1t may be controlled by the last mentioned valve operatingmechanism.

The invention is shown" in the drawings.

as applied to a fourcycle gas engine having the four cylinders 1, 2, 3,and at, and pistons therefor, said pistons being connected as usual witha crank shaft 6; This crank shaft, as is usual, is geared up two to onewith a longitudinal shaft 7 so that the latter shaft runs half asfast asthe crank shaft This is the shaft which controls the sparkingarrangement, etc. According to theipresent Specithzatioim of LettersPatent. I Patented Nqv; 1910,'

Application filed March 16, 1909. Serial No. 488,694..

inventionthis' shaft is shown-as provided;

I with a gear 8- meshing with a gear-9 on a shaft 10, these two gearspreferably-being, miter gears. The gear 9 is loose on the shaft 10- andis adapted to be connected struction. These latter parts are-supportedfrom a. valve casing 12 mounted on the frame of the machine or in anydesired position, and in this valve casing is a valve 13 fixed to theshaft 10. This valve has a cenmnnication with the acetylene tankso as topassage 17 of the valve will rotate in unison ing 12 are a plurality ofpassages 18 adaptturn as the shaft 10 rotates. These passages are easedoff slightly at 19, the solid space between each two fillets 19 beingvery slightlysl'iorter than the width-of the passage 17, so that if thevalve stops 'with the passage 17 between two of the passages it willalways be in communication with one. The passages 18' connect with fourconductors or pipes 20 which communicate with the respective cylinders1, 2, 3 and 4 so as to admit the acetylene to one cylinder at a time.and prevent its introduction into more than one at the same time. At thepoint where each of these pipes enters the cylin vder i s a check-valve21'for preventing back pressure from the cylinder interfering with theoperation of. the device or going back to the acetylene tank.

From what has been stated itwill be seen ,that the valve 13 alwaysrotates with thecrank shaft and that whenevert-he engine plosion stroke.The acetylene is forced into therewith'by clutch 11 of any desiredco'n-I t-ral passage 14 connecting through a con in, the valvetl3 can"constantly be in com-' admit pressure to the valve and that thewith-therotation of the shaft 7. In the casstops the passage 17 will be left incommu tion and is just starting forward on its ex-f ed to communicatewith the passage 17 in parts are so set up that the cylinder with inderto start the engine.

with the cylinder 37. The gas then flows 'whereby the introduction ofthe acetylene 40- sition to be operated by the foot of the opnite chargeof gas can be kept ready to introduce. lnto the cylinder so that theacetylene this cylinder and the explosion takes place. This forces thepiston forward. Before this piston starts back on the exhaust stroke,another cylinder takes thelregular fuel. From this it will be seen thatmeans is provided whereby the pressure from the a'etylene tank can beintroduced at any time into the engine and that another meansis-iprovided into the engine will necessarily take place in such amanner as to introduce that pressure where it is needed in order tostart the proper piston. In this way a method of operation is providedwhereby a source of pressure present in nearly every motor car, namelythe acetylene gas for lighting, is-au-' tomatically introduced into theproper cyl- In addition to what has been described it is preferred toprovide means whereby the acetylene gas can be shut off from theconductor 15 'so that the acetylene can be used for lighting in theregular way. For this purpose and another one, as will appear below, avalve 25 is employed in the conductor 15. This valve is shown as havingan operating arm 26 on which is pivotally mounted by means of studs '27a block 28. This block is provided with an opening through which canslide a rod 29. This rod is normally held with .suflicient tightness bya'spring-pressed plug 30.80 that when the rod is pushed the arm will beturned. As the plug 30. bears on the rod by friction only, when the armrotates against one of the stops 31, the rod can be pushed still furtherwithoutbreaking anything. This rod 29 is shown as extending back intopoerator, and is provided with a plate 32 for that purpose.v Under thisplate is a spring 33 for normally pulling the rod back, this platebearing on the dash 34 of the vehicle in the present case. It will beunderstood that the valve 25 could be so constructed that the gas fromthe'acetylejne tank could be'allowed to flow freely through theconductor 15 after the rod 29 was pressed down, but it is preferablytoprovide means whereby a defitank will not be called upon for more thanis necessary, and there will always be a charge for starting the enginesothat thev operator will not have to be careful about not using toomuch'of the gas in the tank 16 for lights. Within thespring 33 is apiston rod 35 connected with a piston 36 in a cylinder 37 The valve-25is provided with a passage 38 so constructed that when the rod 29 ispulled up and the arm is caused to engage the stop 31 this passageconnects the acetylene tank into this tank and' pushes the piston 36baclg assisted by the. -s'pring33.-' In this way a definite amount ofgas will always be available in the cylinder 37. Now when it is desiredto start the engine, it being remembered that the valve 13 is alwaysautomatically brought to the proper position to conduct the gas to therightcylinder, all that is required is to push down the plate 32 so thatthe valve 25 will be turned to permit the-gas in the cylinder 37 to flowinto the engine cylinder which is in position to receive the charge. Atthe same time the tank 16 is automatically cut ofi. It will beunderstood of course that the tank 16 (preferably is provided with ahand-operate valve 39 for shutting off the tank altogether when itisdesired to do so. After the cylinder has been charged and the enginestarted the operator removes his foot from the plate 32 and the spring33 operates the rod 29, changes the valve back to the position shown inFig. 5, and withdraws the piston so that a charge of gas will beintroduced into the cylinder 37, at the same time shutting offcommunication between that cylinder and the valve casing 12. A valve 50is shown for controlling the lights.

It will be understood that the sparking arrangement can be operated inthe regular way, and that therefore no description of that operation hasbeen given above. It is preferred, however, to provide means whereby thespark will be caused to take place at the proper ime. For this purposethe rod 29 is provied with a projection 40 which at the proper timeengages a movable contact member-41 to bring it into contact with theother terminal 42 of a circuit 43. In this way when the plunger is downthe contact is closed at this point and the spark plug in the propercylinder is caused to be energized and the spark to be made at theproper time to explode the charge of acetylene gas which has been sentinto it. The remainderof the wiring diagram will be well understood, asit involves merely a battery 44,-an electromagnetic release switch 45, acircuit 46 which connects through a timer 47 withthe selected one of aseries of conductors 48 through a coil 49 to the desired one of thecylinders 1, 2, 3 or 4 in which the spark plugs are located. \Vhen thecontact points 41 and 42 are connected by means of the projection 40,the switch 45 is magnetically connected and remains so untilop ened byhand. Therefore only one battery is necessary.

Many of the advantages and the opera tion have, been described in thecourse of the description of the mechanism so that a further detaildescription thereof is not necessar lll hile I have illustrated anddescribed a preferred embodiment of the invention, I am aware that manymodifications can be made by any person skilled in the art, and that itcan be applied to many other types of gas engines without departing fromthe scope of the invention as expressed in the claims.

What I do claim is-:

1..In a device for starting gas engines,-

the combination with the gas engine, .of

. .en ine. g

a receptacle for gas under pressure, acylin der for receiving a chargeof gas from said receptacle, and a valve having passages forsimultaneously disconnecting said cyl-" inder from the gas receptacle,andconnect- 15 ing it with .a cylinder of the engine.

Q 2. In a device for starting gas engines, the, combination ofa sourceof gas pressure, a

conductor for connectingsaidsource of pressure with the engine, a'valvein said 0011- 'ducto'r, a cylinder adapted to be connected by said valveeither with thesource-Of gas .pressureior with the engine, and apistonin said cylinder for forcing the gas into the 3'. In a thecgmbination ofa source of gas pressure,

;a,conductor communicating therewith and with; the gas engine, valve insaid conductorr for closing directcommunication be--.

tweei'i the source of gas pressure and'thfe. en

.gine, a cylinder adaptedito .be connected by valve either with thesource of gas pres- 'sure or with the engine, a pistonin said cylinder,and means fortorcing saidpiston toward the valveto force the charge ofgas to the engine.

4'. In 'a device for starting gas engines,

the combination ofjasource' of gas pressure,

a conductor communicating therewith-. and

with the gas engine, avalve in said conductor for closingdirectcommunication between the source of gaspressureand the en- 'gine, areceptacle connected with said valve,

and": means for turning said valve .to simul-.

taneously shutotfmominunication between the cylinder and source ofngaspressureand connect the cylinder with the engine.

5. The combination witha gas engine-,of

. a source of gas pressurea'connected with the several cylinders of saidengine, means for opening the connectionbetween saidsource ofgaspressure the cylinder whichis ready toreceive a charge, and means forcont-rollingthe connection of saidsource of supply 'Wllill saidcylinders. comprising a valve, a

rod for operating the valve, and a spring for normally holding the valveclosed and a device for opening thevalve and positively" forcing the gasalongsa-id connection.

$5. In a startingdevice for gas engines, the combination of asource ofgas pressure. a conductor therefrom to the cylinders of the engine,means for controlling-said con- 'ductor automatically from the engine to.causethe gas to be introduced into the cyldevice for starting gasengines,

thefvalve,;said'valveliaving-means for disconnecting the receptacle fromthe source of. gas pressure and connectingit withone of theenginecylinders when said rod is op- }erated.

' 7. In a device for starting gas. engines, the combination of a sourceof-gas pressure,

p a conductor for connecting said source of 1 pressure with the engine,a valve in said conductor, a cylinderfiadapted to be connected bysaidsvalve either with the source of gas pressure or with theengine, apie: ton in sa d cylinder, :1 rod for operating the valve, a piston rod,a spr ng tor forcing said piston upwardly, and means for connecting saidrods with each other so that they move. in unison. i g

I 8. In 'a'device forstarting gas engines, the combination of a sourceof gas pressure, a conductorcommunicating therewith and with the gasengine, a valve in said conductor', for closing direct communicationbetween tliesource of gas pressure and the engine, a. cylinder adaptedto'be connected by said valve. either with the source of gas pressure orwith theengine, a piston in said cylinder, means for forcing said pistonto-i ward the valv'e'to force ;the cli arge of gas to the engine, andmeans for simultaneously ,turning said valve to shutoff communicationbetween the cylinder and source-of gas pressure and connect the cylinderwith the engine. 4 9. In a device of the charactcrdescribed, thecombination of-a conductorya two-Way valve. therein having an arm;operating stops for said arm, a block mounted on the arm and having apassage tli erethrough, an

holding said rod so that the reciprocation of the rod'will operatethearm.

10(In a startingdevice for gas engines,

the combination of a source of gas pressure, a conductor therefrom tothe cylinders ot the engine, means for controlling said passage to causethe gas to be introduced into the cylinder which ready; to receivecharge, a valve in said 'cOnducton'and manulally controlled means 'foroperatingthe valve comprising a crank-arm on the valve, a sliding rodfor operating the crank-arm, a spring operating the rod fcrmormally holding the crank-arm in position to close the valve, aplunger movingwiththe rod, and electrical connections controlled by the rod for causing aspark when the valve is opened toexplode the charge.

11. In "a starting device -fori asengines,

5 for controlling the conducting means to innected with said rod forclosing said circuit 1 when the valve is open.

the combination with a gas engine having cylinders and spark plug, witha source of gas pressure, means for conducting the gas to the severalcylinders of the engine, means I 12.In a device for start-inga gasengine, the combination With the gas engine having cylinders and a sparkplug, of a conductor communicating with said cylinders, a receptacle forreceiving an explosive gas, a valve i having means for simultaneouslycutting ofi communication between said receptacle and the cylinders ofthe engine and for permitting the introduction of a gas into thereceptacle, and means for subsequently simultaneously operating saidvalve to prevent the admission of gas into said receptacle and forcingthe gas out of said receptacle into the engine cylinders, the last namedmeans having a device for connecting the spark plug with the source ofelectricity to explode the charge.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. OSLUND1. Witnesses:

A. E. FAY,

C. FORREST WESSON.

